About

Association for the Promotion of Old Crafts and Culture “WICI” [aka WICI Association] is a non-profit association based in Poland. The main goal of “WICI” is to inform, educate and promote ​​handicrafts in society. We work to restore the value of craftsmanship and the use of crafts in creative entrepreneurship, design, art and as a leisure time activity which contributes to well-being.

“WICI” Association was established in 2016 by a group of activists, educators, artists, researchers, craftsmen and craftswomen. What bonded us was the shared understanding of the value of old crafting techniques and the unique relationship between the maker and the object. Meet our team.

Our aim is to rediscover the past anew: to make the public aware of the time, skills and knowledge necessary to make a handmade product – to see and understand the differences between mass produced, and hand crafted and custom-made items. If crafts and handicrafts are appreciated on the market, the work of artisans becomes economically profitable as a full-fledged and sustainable source of income. Read our Education Strategy.

What we do

Projects in education and culture

We create and implement projects in the field of culture, non-formal education, art and innovation. Taking crafts, folk culture, nature and history as resources, we strive to find innovative solutions to heritage is relevant and inspiring today. Looking for a project partner or area expert? See our project portfolio for more details.

Digital heritage

Our team consisting of managers, photographers and anthropologists offer advice on how to present and promote a cultural project online. We help organisations and institutions build their digital audience. We start with the diagnosis of needs, prepare a strategy and implement it with the use of digital media, film and photography.

Craft workshops

Crafting is why we established WICI! We offer workshops in old crafts (tablet weaving, naalbinding, embroidery, woodwork), eco, recycling and upcycling, individual sewing courses, relaxation and integration sessions with the use of creative activities. Our team has extended experience in workshop facilitation for individuals, institutions and festivals.

International partnerships

We engage in cross-sectoral and international cooperation with museums, public institutions, and NGOs. We are active in Erasmus+ in mobility and strategic partnerships. We collaborate in projects concerning arts and crafts, non-formal education, nature education, sustainability and regional tourism.

Support for art and craft business

Solo entrepreneurship requires plenty of skills. We provide support to creative sector entrepreneurs through consultancy, trainings in soft skills, team building, brand building, and stimulating creativity and personal development. We collaborate in European consortia for supporting entrepreneurs in the craft sector (project STARTCRAFT).

Research and consulting

Good quality research can help you prepare solid projects, discover the needs of your target groups and increase the impact of your actions. We specialise in qualitative methods, e.g. interviews, focus groups, traditional and digital ethnography, study visits and case studies. We teach small organisations the basics of project evaluation.

Are you interested in cooperation? Get to know our projects or contact us!